When you think of the American Red Cross, what do you see? Perhaps it’s a volunteer like Antoney Elliot, or at least it should be.

Antoney is barely into his second year as a Red Cross volunteer in New York City. At home, he is a member of his local Red Cross Disaster Action Team, which responds to home and apartment fires all hours of the day and night, making sure that the displaced residents have a place to stay, food, clothing, health services and more.

In his “day job,” he is a minister; he teaches adult Sunday school and is a counselor for veterans at the Franklin Deleno Roosevelt VA Medical Center in Montrose, New York.

He deployed to Austin, Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey as a member of the Red Cross Spiritual Care team, which helps respond to the spiritual needs or request in shelters or in affected neighborhoods. He has been working in the Met Center shelter in South Austin, where several hundred evacuees sought refuge.

While working in the shelter, he began talking to a resident named Dana Watson. After evacuating the Houston home she shared with her sister and their children and staying in two different shelters in Central Texas, Dana was feeling frustrated and down.

Antoney Elliot (right) helped Dana Watson and her family identify the recovery resources available to them and start the process of getting back on their feet.

Dana told Antoney that her sister was ready to go back to Houston with all of their children, while Dana wanted to stay in Austin and find resources to start fresh. Dana explained that living with her sister wasn’t working well even before Harvey, and their house had already flooded in 2016. She didn’t want to put her children through that again.

Because they were two separate families living under the same roof, Dana worried that the resources available per family from FEMA, the Red Cross and other agencies would only be available to her sister, who had already registered as the “head of household” for their address.

Dana felt as though her future was out of her hands. That’s when Antoney knew he could help.

“She was really down. I told her ‘let me be your advocate’,” said Antoney. And then they went to work.

In the days that followed, Antoney accompanied Dana, at her request, to visit various agencies in the Multi-Agency Resource Center next to the shelter.

The Mulit-Agency Resource Center, where people impacted by Hurricane Harvey can access recovery assistance from various organizations at the same time.

He helped her work with FEMA to open her own case as a “head of household”, and he introduced her to a local group called Black Women in Business, which helps with resources needed to start a new job in the area. He also helped Dana get replacement birth certificates for her kids and connected her with a career coach that helped her put a resume together.

When a natural disaster strikes, the destruction impacts each family differently and the recovery process is like a puzzle – it takes many agencies and individuals working side by side. The process can be overwhelming for those that are trying to navigate it.

“Nothing about this is simple. Part of my role here is to anticipate someone’s individual needs and help them as best I can,” said Antoney.

Antoney Elliot (right) helped Dana Watson and her family identify the recovery resources available to them and start the process of getting back on their feet.

While each Red Cross volunteer has their assigned role during a disaster response –whether it’s spiritual care, mobile feeding, sheltering, logistics, health services, or one of the dozens of other important jobs — each volunteer also understands that sometimes it takes a little bit of creativity and understanding to meet someone’s true needs. Through their training and experience, Red Cross volunteers work to provide vital relief and recovery while also convening the community and advocating for the people they are trying to help along the way.

Soon after Harvey made landfall, long time American Red Cross volunteer Phyllis Stafford touched down in Austin, Texas to help—carrying more luggage than most. Back home in Rhode Island, Phyllis has a good friend who works at Hasbro. When her friend heard she was headed to help the families affected by Hurricane Harvey, she quickly spoke to her co-workers about helping. Hasbro jumped at the opportunity and packed Phyllis’ suitcases full of 2,000 games and toys, to share with families impacted by Harvey.

Shortly after, while hard at work providing shelter, hot meals and comfort to hundreds of evacuees staying at Red Cross shelters in Austin, Phyllis received another call. In hopes of putting more smiles on the faces of our youngest guests, Hasbro was sending an additional 15,000 games and toys to Texas!

In a time of much heartbreak, old favorites like Monopoly, Candy Land and Connect 4, are comforting and bringing laughter to brothers and sisters playing parents, grandparents and even new friends at Red Cross shelters.

Red Cross volunteers, like Phyllis, work around the clock to make shelters as comfortable as possible, especially for children who have lost their homes, their toys and all their belongings. We work alongside partners like Children’s Disaster Services, who specialize in child care and supportive play in traumatic times of disaster. In Austin, Mini ponies and therapy dogs, princesses and balloon artists also spent time brightening the days of children and adults at our shelters.

Across Texas and Louisiana, the Red Cross has been providing shelter to more 30,000 people each night in the wake of Harvey. To support the Red Cross in Harvey relief efforts: visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text ‘HARVEY’ to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Thank you for your support of the Red Cross and families impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

We hope to answer your most frequently asked questions.

Volunteering:

Since Hurricane Harvey made landfall, the Red Cross has seen an outpouring of generosity from new volunteers. More than 10,000 new volunteers across the district have signed up to help. We are working quickly to get these volunteers assigned to their roles helping the families impacted by Harvey, but it may take several days to put everyone to work as the sheltering needs ramp up. If you have already been trained and are awaiting assignment, our team will contact you as soon as possible with next steps but it might take a few days. We appreciate your patience and your willingness to help your neighbors in need. This relief effort will be long and we will need your support.

In-kind donations:

The Red Cross works closely with local community groups and organizations that do accept in-kind donations. In San Antonio, donations can be dropped at the San Antonio Food Bank at 5200 Enrique M Barrera Parkway, San Antonio TX 78227. In Austin, donations can be dropped at Austin Disaster Relief Network’s Hope Family Thrift Store at 1122 E 51st Street, Austin, Texas 78723.

Shelter Information:

You can find shelters by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767), visiting redcross.org/shelter or by downloading the free Red Cross Emergency App. The Emergency App is available in app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.

Emergency Information: Listen to the advice of emergency officials. If you need to be rescued, call trained rescue professionals at 9-1-1 or the U.S. Coast Guard at these numbers: 281-464-4851, 281-464-4852, 281-464-4853, 281-464-4854, 281-464-4855

How to Help:

The best and most immediate way you can help is to make a financial donation to support the Red Cross Hurricane Harvey relief effort. Help people affected by Hurricane Harvey by visiting redcross.org, calling 1- 800-RED CROSS or texting the word HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.

Blood:

The need for blood is constant and the Red Cross currently has an urgent need for blood donations across the country due to a summer decline in blood donors and blood drive sponsors. In Texas, we are closely monitoring our blood supplies amid this ongoing disaster. With dangerous widespread flooding in Southeast Texas, all blood collection organizations in the U.S. are making efforts to meet patient blood needs and to ensure a sufficient blood supply in storm affected areas. Blood donations are always encouraged and the Red Cross stands ready to provide blood products as needed.

The American Red Cross Serving Greater San Antonio is opening a Volunteer Intake Center on Saturday, August 26 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Volunteer Intake Center will be located at their San Antonio office located at 3642 E. Houston St., San Antonio, TX, 78219.

Who: American Red Cross Serving Greater San Antonio

What: Volunteer Intake Center

When: Saturday, August 26 from

8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Why: The Red Cross has issued an urgent request for shelter volunteers that would like to help hurricane evacuees. New and first-time volunteers are encouraged to visit the Volunteer Intake Center to register, train and receive volunteer assignments.

Volunteers are encouraged to visit redcross.org/volunteer and fill out the volunteer application. Shelter training will take place every hour beginning at 8:30 a.m.

The American Red Cross Serving Central Texas has issued an urgent request for volunteer shelter workers. Gulf coast evacuees are seeking shelter in Austin, and the Red Cross needs volunteers to help work in local shelters.

Just-in-time trainings are being offered for new volunteers Saturday, August 26th, 2017. Potential volunteers can choose any of the following trainings to attend. They only need to attend one.

SHELTER WORKER TRAINING: For new volunteers that would like to help shelter hurricane evacuees in Central Texas. Choose one of the following training times:

Saturday, August 26th, 2017

AISD Performing Arts Center

1500 Barbara Jordan Blvd, Austin, TX 78723

10:00 am – 11:00 am

Noon – 1:00 pm

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Volunteers are encouraged to visit redcross.org/volunteer and fill out the volunteer application before they attend the training, but it is not required; computers will be available onsite for volunteers to complete their intake process during training.

This fall, the Red Cross will launch Sound the Alarm (STA), a series of home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events nationwide. Over the period of September 23 – October 15, 2017, we will save more lives by installing 100,000 FREE smoke alarms across more than 100 major city markets. Join us in helping to save lives in your community!

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

You can join this growing movement by creating a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) fundraiser and raising funds by asking your family and friends to sponsor you. Together, we can Sound the Alarm about fire safety and help save lives.

Use email, social media, and your creativity to spark interest and get donations.

Draft Potential Donor List. Think of people that you can count on for their support – friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers.

Decide the best contact method. For best results contact your friends and family in the way that is best for them. While sending a group email might be the easiest method for you, a personal letter or phone call to key contacts might be best for them. Lay out your approach and group your contacts by the best form of contact. Start with friends and family, co-workers, and fellow volunteers. Check out the Email Samples section for sample emails you can send.

Email. Email drives more donations than social media. If possible, try emailing in batches of 10, instead of 1,000 or even 100. Making everyone feel slightly less anonymous will lead to more engagement.

Social Media. Use Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram to update your supporters about your fundraising campaign, but don’t rely on it.

Turn-it-Around Fundraising. Remember those people that have asked you to buy products they sell, purchase cookies from their kids, support school events and donate to their charitable fundraisers? Now is the time to turn around and ask them to support YOUR efforts!

Start Small and Build. Recruit a few close supporters to donate before you let your network know about your efforts. Having a few donations to start off can make people feel like they are part of an already successful campaign.

Use Numbers. Find a creative way to ask for support using numbers. Ask people to donate $15 on the15th of the month, the cost to cover installation of one smoke alarm.

Ask, Ask, Ask. People want to support you, but everyone is busy and forgets. Follow up with your supporters, send updates to help remind them of your efforts and personalize your requests.

Update Often. Don’t just send out asks, send out updates on your progress as well. Let your supporters know when you’ve reach certain milestones, such as halfway to your fundraising goal, or if there has been an exciting update from the Red Cross. Roughly 30% of donors will consider a second gift to help a friend reach their goal.

Thank Them. Be sure to personally thank your supporters, either by email, phone, eCards or in person. They want to know how your campaign is going! How to thank your donors.

General Fundraising Tips

Set a Personal Fundraising Goal.

Pick a number that you feel is achievable for your personal fundraising goal – you can always edit this on your page once you get a feel for the campaign. Keep in mind that your friends and family will like to see your progress and will be more motivated to give if the goal is close.

I’ve joined the American Red Cross to Sound the Alarm by installing smoke alarms and providing home fire safety education to families on [insert install date]. I’m also committing to raising [$insert goal] to support the Red Cross in their efforts. Please join me by donating here ADD LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE HERE. A $15 donation can cover the fire safety training and installation of one smoke alarm. #endhomefires

Timing: After your first donation

Thank you @nameofdonor for giving to my #Redcross page ADD LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE HERE. Your donation will be a big help to #endhomefires.

Thank you @nameofdonor for giving to my fundraiser for the Red Cross. I started this fundraiser because share why you decided to help the Red Cross and why this campaign is important to you. If you’d like to join my efforts, please consider making a gift here: ADD LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE HERE. #endhomefires

Timing: 50% to your goal

I’m halfway to my goal of raising [$insert goal] to help #RedCross reduce death & injury from home fires by 25% by 2020! Donate here: ADD LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE

I’m halfway to my goal of raising [$insert goal] to help #RedCross reduce death & injury from home fires by 25% by 2020! Will you consider a gift to help me reach my goal? ADD LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE HERE #endhomefires

Timing: After seeing a post from your Chapter’s page of their response to a home fire in your community

Last night, the [@tag your Red Cross chapter here] responded to a fire in [your community name]. Please help me prevent tragedy and provide hope to families hurt by home fires by donating to my Sound the Alarm fundraiser ADD LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE HERE #redcross #endhomefires

Email Templates

Donation Request – Install Event Participant + Fundraiser

SUBJECT: Please Sponsor Me!

Dear friends and family,

I wanted to reach out and ask for your support. I have joined the American Red Cross in my local INSERT LOCATION community to help install free smoke alarms on INSERT DATE. This installation event is part of Sound the Alarm, a home fire safety and smoke alarm installation event taking place across the US in hundreds of cities from September 23 – October 15.

The Red Cross responds to a disaster every 8 minutes, most of which are home fires. Did you know that on average, 7 people die each day from a home fire? Installing working smoke alarms is the best way to prevent home fire disasters – it nearly doubles a persons’ chances of survival!

I would love it if you supported my efforts to install INSERT NUMBER smoke alarms as part of my local team. You can help sponsor my efforts by donating to my CrowdRise page and helping me reach my goal of INSERT AMOUNT! Just $15 can cover the fire safety training and installation of one smoke alarm. A gift of any size helps the Red Cross prepare, respond and recover from home fires.

Please help me make a difference by donating HERE – INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE

The Red Cross responds to a disaster every 8 minutes, most of which are home fires. Did you know that on average, 7 people die each day from a home fire? Installing working smoke alarms is the best way to prevent home fire disasters – it nearly doubles a persons’ chances of survival!

The Red Cross is partnering with Fire Departments across the country and thousands of volunteers to install smoke alarms in local communities, and to help families make an escape plan in case of a fire. Sound the Alarm is a campaign to reduce the death and injuries caused by home fires.

I have joined Sound the Alarm as a fundraiser to support smoke alarm installations in my local community. I would love it if you joined me in this lifesaving cause. You can help me save lives by donating to my CrowdRise page! Just $15 can cover the fire safety training and installation of one smoke alarm. A gift of any size helps the Red Cross prepare, respond and recover from home fires.

Please help us make a difference by donating HERE – INSERT LINK TO CROWDRISE PAGE

The Red Cross responds to a disaster every 8 minutes, most of which are home fires. Did you know that on average, 7 people die each day from a home fire? Installing working smoke alarms is the best way to prevent home fire disasters – it nearly doubles a persons’ chances of survival!

The Red Cross is partnering with Fire Departments across the country and thousands of volunteers to install smoke alarms in local communities, and to help families make an escape plan in case of a fire. Sound the Alarm is a campaign to reduce the death and injuries caused by home fires.

Between September 23 – October 15 we are installing 100,000 free smoke alarms in more than 100 high-risk communities nationwide.

Please join me in supporting this important cause! You can show support by:

Making a financial gift today to support us prepare, respond and help families recover from home fires – click here to donate!

Signing-up as a volunteer to install smoke alarms in your community – click here to find a local event!

Joining your local Red Cross Chapter Team as a fundraiser – click here to find a local team!

It is through this work that, together, we have helped Sound the Alarm and save lives. To find out more information on how the American Red Cross is saving lives with this initiative visit www.redcross.org/sound-the-alarm.

Thank you so much for your help!!

NAME

#endhomefires

Frequently Asked Questions

About Sound the Alarm. Save a Life.

Every day, seven people die in home fires, most in homes that lack working smoke alarms. Sadly, children and the elderly disproportionately lose their lives. That’s why the Red Cross rallied an army of volunteers and launched our Home Fire Campaign in 2014.

This fall, the Red Cross will launch Sound the Alarm (STA), a series of home fire safety and smoke alarm installation events nationwide. Over the period of September 23 – October 15, 2017, we will save more lives by installing 100,000 FREE smoke alarms across more than 100 major city markets.

About Donations

Are CrowdRise donations tax deductible? Yes, all donations made to the Red Cross are tax deductible

How much of my donation is being used for the campaign? An average of 91 cents of every dollar is spent on humanitarian services and programs

How does Red Cross receive the funds from CrowdRise? The payment processor for CrowdRise sends a lump sum check to Red Cross on the 15th of each month for all monies raised. A transaction fee of 3% and credit card fee of 2.5% + $.30 a transaction is taken by the processor and CrowdRise for processing the donations. A donor may choose to increase their donation to cover the transaction fees.

Can my friends and family donate offline via check or cash to count towards my fundraising goal? Yes! Work with your local chapter to submit the donation and have it credited toward your goal.

About the CrowdRise Platform

How do I reset my password? Under the log in page at crowdrise.com/soundthealarm there is option for “Forgot Password.” If you are logged in and want to change your password, go to “ACCOUNT” in the drop down menu where you log in. Select “Change Email/Password”

How do I change my fundraising goal? Once you log in to your fundraiser, go to the “Set Up” tab on your dashboard, select “Goal” in the bottom right corner, then select “Edit Goal”

How do I post an update about my fundraiser? Updating your supporters on your campaign is key to raising more money. It keeps them engaged, allows you to customize your asks, and provides more communication throughout your campaign. And, we’ve found that those organizations that post campaign updates raise 3x more and have 4x as many repeat donors.

To post an update

Log in to your account at crowdrise.com/soundthealarm and view your fundraiser

Locate the POST AN UPDATE bubble above the STORY section on the main fundraiser page

Click the POST AN UPDATE link

Fill out the subject and body of your update then click SAVE & PREVIEW.

How do I edit my page?

Log in to your CrowdRise account and go to your fundraising page

Select the “EDIT FUNDRAISER” tab

Here you can add pics, a video and update the story section

Once you’re done making changes, make sure you click the “SAVE” button

Are there goal requirements or deadlines when I set up a fundraiser on CrowdRise? No. There are no goal requirements and no deadlines when you use CrowdRise for your fundraising. However, setting a goal is a great idea and we do recommend it because it’s great to have a target (you can always reset it if you reach it) to talk about with your supporters.

It’s no secret that the American Red Cross relies on the generosity of donors to carry out its mission. Here in Central Texas, we are lucky to have many supporters—both individuals and organizations—who make our work possible through financial contributions.

And behind the invaluable monetary donations we receive from these partners are some truly inspiring stories.

Kevin Terrazas currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of the Directors for the American Red Cross Serving Central Texas, and is a co-founder of Cleveland Terrazas PLLC, an Austin-based boutique law firm.

Terrazas has been involved with the Red Cross in a formal role since 2011, but his knowledge of the organization goes back to the time he spent serving in the Army in Iraq. He says he saw how the Red Cross helped his fellow soldiers and recalls one specific case when a Red Cross message enabled his friend get home in time for the birth of his baby.

Kevin Terrazas with his wife Patricia at a Red Cross appreciation event in 2016.

When Terrazas settled in Austin and made acquaintance with members of the Board of the Directors for the local Red Cross chapter, he wanted to learn more.

What he found inspired him to become more involved with the organization.

“I learned that the Red Cross is highly efficient and motivated,” Terrazas said. “I discovered an organization that is nondenominational in every sense of the word. The only qualification to receive Red Cross services is that you are truly in need. ”

He learned things about the Red Cross that he never knew, and wanted to spread the word and support the cause.

“My wife and I decided many years ago that we don’t own anything,” Terrazas says of his family’s decision to designate a percentage of their income to charities that they believe in.

Motivated by his faith to be an example in helping others, Terrazas has grown his investment of both time and money over the last several years. He has also introduced many people, including his business partner, Tim Cleveland, to the many Red Cross programs and services delivered right here in Central Texas.

Cleveland and Terrazas have been partners for two and half years, and their firm donated $25,000 to the Red Cross as sponsors of the 2017 annual fundraising gala. Terrazas says that they realized—together with their families—they could make a bigger impact together than they could apart.

“It’s truly a team effort. As a group we can do more than we can as individuals.”